đź”— Share this article French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom. This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel. French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements. French police have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians. "It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters." Now, a French naval police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life. Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats. This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left government. That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat. Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped. Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past. The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response. Connected Developments Why UK can't just return asylum seekers to France France backing away from pledge to stop migrant boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security